Burmese Army Attack and Loot Kachin IDP Camp

On the morning of Tuesday 22nd October, the Burmese Army launched an offensive at Namlim Pa and Mung Ding Pa village tracts in Mansi Township, Southern Kachin State. This happened after the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) re-positioned to re-open the Kaihtik-Bhamo motorway […]

EU Must Highlight Ongoing Human Rights Abuses in UNGA Burma Resolution

Members of the European Burma Network welcome the decision of the European Union to continue with the annual United Nations General Assembly resolution on Burma.

We are concerned that despite the fact that the government of Burma has not met a single one of the twenty main demands made in last year’s resolution, the European Union had seriously considered discontinuing the resolution […]

UN General Assembly: Establish Clear Benchmarks to Address Continuing Abuses in Myanmar

Wartime Abuses in Kachin State, “Ethnic Cleansing” in Rakhine State, Tens of Thousands Denied Access to Aid

The United Nations General Assembly should adopt a strong and comprehensive resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar to promote much-needed human rights reform in the country, Fortify Rights said today. When it considers a forthcoming resolution on Myanmar, the UN General Assembly should condemn the wide range of ongoing human rights violations by the government and armed forces of Myanmar and provide clear benchmarks for measurable improvement, including establishing the presence of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Myanmar […]

The Dark Side of Transition: Violence Against Muslims in Myanmar

In its latest report, The Dark Side of Transition: Violence against Muslims in Myanmar, the International Crisis Group examines the recent violence against Muslim communities. Anti-Muslim violence is nothing new in Myanmar but has been growing in the past two years, the product of reduced authoritarian controls and a history of intolerant Burman/Buddhist nationalism. Issued on the day President Thein Sein begins a visit to Rakhine State, the centre of much violence, this report urges a stronger government effort to combat bigotry and protect its Muslim population […]

Myanmar: UN Expert Greets Abolition of Notorious Border Security Force in Rakhine State and Calls for Accountability

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, today welcomed the abolition of Nasaka, the notorious border security force operating in Rakhine State. He urged the authorities to investigate and hold accountable those members of the force responsible for human rights abuses […]

British Parliamentarians Call on Government to Prioritise Human Rights During Burmese President Thein Sein Visit

British Parliamentarians from the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Democracy in Burma are calling on Foreign Secretary William Hague to prioritise human rights when he meets Burmese President Thein Sein in London.

The All-Party Parliamentary Group For Democracy in Burma has recently heard evidence on a number of serious human rights issues, including the continuing recruitment of child soldiers, ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, religious persecution against the Chin ethnic minority, and possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Burmese Army against Kachin civilians […]

Burma: UK’s Cameron Should Press President on Rights

Demand Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity, Release of Political Prisoners

Britain’s Prime Minster David Cameron should urge visiting Burmese President Thein Sein to bring those responsible for atrocities against Burma’s Muslims to justice, release all political prisoners, and ensure that new legislation meets international human rights standards, Human Rights Watch said today. Thein Sein is visiting the United Kingdom from July 14 to 16, 2013 […]

Burma: Kachin Civilians Killed Despite Agreement to End Hostilities

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) has learned that a Kachin civilian named Zahkung Lum Hkawng was tortured, beaten and shot dead by the Burmese Army in Northern Shan State on 14 June. The killing occurred just weeks after the Burmese government and the Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) signed a seven-point agreement […]

One Year After the Violence Began: Civil Society Organisations Deeply Concerned by the Human Rights and Humanitarian Situation of Stateless Rohingya

The Rohingya, a stateless minority of Myanmar, have endured decades of abuse, persecution and discrimination. One year ago, on 3 June 2012, the massacre of ten Muslims travelling in Rakhine State, following the killing and reported rape of a Buddhist woman, marked the beginning of a series of violent attacks against the Rohingya and other Muslim communities. The violence of June and October 2012 resulted in countless deaths, destruction to property, large scale internal displacement and segregation within Rakhine state of Myanmar. Consequently, thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and
beyond […]

UN Myanmar Expert: Fatal Shooting of Rohingya Women the Latest Product of Impunity

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana, today said that the fatal shooting last week of three Rohingya women participating in a peaceful protest in Rakhine State is the latest shocking example of how law enforcement officials operate with complete impunity there […]